Metro Digest

Local News in Brief : Hazardous Waste Office

Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley, in a letter Tuesday to rival Zev Yaroslavsky, called on the city councilman to act promptly on a request to create an office of hazardous waste reduction.

Bradley said he was "disappointed" that Yaroslavsky, as chairman of the council's Finance and Revenue Committee, had kept the creation of the office off the panel's agenda for the past several weeks.

"Reduction of hazardous wastes at the source is the wave of the future in protecting the public from toxic pollution, and many of us who are concerned about the environment are anxious to see what the City of Los Angeles could accomplish through such a program at the local level," Bradley said. "I do not believe further delays in bringing this matter to council are warranted."

As first suggested by a Bradley advisory committee, the new office would coordinate recycling efforts, monitor the disposal of hazardous wastes and try to reduce the city's use of toxic materials.

A spokeswoman for Yaroslavsky said the councilman has asked for a report on the suggested office and is not, as Bradley implied, holding up action on the proposal.

Yaroslavsky is expected to square off against Bradley in next year's mayoral election.